Rick Springfield Unloads During Butt-Injury Trial

After nearly a decade of legal drama stemming from a 2004 incident in which he allegedly injured a concertgoer with his buttocks, Rick Springfield reached the end of his patience in court yesterday.

Syracuse.com reports that Springfield plopped down on the stand for more than 90 minutes of questioning regarding a show at the town's state fair, during which he is alleged to have fallen on an audience member and caused "serious, disabling and permanent injuries." Although he was said to have been "often smiling and occasionally laughing" while engaging with the opposing side's attorney, his temper reared up at other moments, during which he reportedly "yelled and cried."

In fact, during one particularly tense exchange, Springfield pointed at the plaintiff's counsel, raising his voice and accusing him of being "very aggressive" with his questions while intimating Springfield is a liar. After unloading, he was given a tissue, which he used to wipe his tears before explaining, "I get emotional sometimes."

Springfield showing signs of strain is perfectly understandable, given that the case was initially filed in 2007, working its way slowly through the system before being dropped when the judge declared a mistrial in 2013. Presumably believing his legal briefs were clean, it must have caused considerable frustration to find the case's mark lingering into a retrial.

While Springfield's tour manager claimed to have no memory of seeing him fall on anyone at the show, Springfield did admit that his glutes do tend to attract attention at his concerts, telling the attorney that fans "grab my butt if they're feeling a little saucy."